Tangled
by Andixa
Summary: With his power steadily growing, Kuwabara is starting to see new red threads of destiny... team Urameshi is about to get tangled up in his new discovery. Hiei/Kurama, canon couples mentioned (Kuwabara/Yukina, Yusuke/Keiko).
1. It's knot what you think

"Hey Kurama, what do you look for in a girl?"

"Hmm?"

"Y'know… what's your perfect girl?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Uh, no reason. I mean, all our classmates are getting girlfriends. Yusuke's got Keiko, and I've got Yukina… sort of…"

"And you're wondering why I'm still single?"

"Er… yeah."

I mark the page in my textbook before setting it aside – it's about time to call it a night, anyway. Kuwabara's mind is starting to wander.

"It's complicated. Remember, I lived as a demon for the majority of my life. I'm not sure I could find a mate in the human world – certainly not among my classmates."

His face scrunches up – he, like most of our friends, prefers to ignore what I once was. What I am.

"So… you don't like anyone, uh, human? Not even those pretty girls that follow you around after school?"

"I suppose if Minamino Shuichi was fully human, he would like one of those girls. Let me see… yes, his girlfriend would be sweet, kind, thoughtful, an excellent student of course. Demure and polite – he's such a nice boy and wouldn't be mixed up with pushy girls. And certainly very pretty, but refined, not the flashy or sexy type."

"Yeah! That sounds perfect! But, uh… you're not dating anyone like that, right?"

Shifting in my chair to face Kuwabara – he's sprawled out on my bed, along with the entire contents of his backpack – I collect my thoughts. Although this conversation is unexpected, it's nice to have a friend around without having to hide too many secrets. As for Kuwabara... he might be dull most of the time, but his spirit guides him well when it comes to matters of the heart.

"Such a perfect girl is very hard to find. My classmates and family believe I simply have not found her yet. But truthfully it just sounds so… boring. So _proper_."

"I dunno, you're kinda proper, Kurama."

"I'm really not."

He is clearly waiting for an explanation, but… no, little human. Maybe I'll have a few stories for you in another decade, when you can talk about crushes and dirty magazines without turning beet red.

"So... uh, if you don't want a girl who's nice and pretty and polite and stuff, what do you want?"

I lean back in my chair and study the ceiling. What _do_ I want? In the demon world the answer had been simple – everything. I'd had lovers and partners and more-than-friends, a few who meant the world to me, many who meant nothing... all painfully attractive, of course. Orgies, one night stands, non-humanoid partners, things humans could only dream of. Now I fear the human world has infected me with its romantic notions – or else my pack instincts are finally kicking in, after so many years of being on my own. I've certainly become pickier in recent years.

"I still want pretty, Kuwabara, just… a different sort. Aesthetically, I suppose those girls are attractive enough; after all, I've always gravitated towards slim, pale figures like theirs." Disturbing memories of Karasu aside, Kuronoe and several lovers of either gender match that description. "But in the demon world, beauty is also about movement, not just physical features. Most humans could never compete with the grace and refinement of a demon, not to mention the physique. And... it's just not the same without at least a hint of fangs. I'm sorry, Kuwabara. Was that too much detail?"

"Erk- no, well, uh. Kinda. It's really weird hearing you talk about that stuff."

If he only knew.

"We've done enough studying for now, I think. Why don't you pack up, and we can meet up with the others for dinner?"

"Great, yeah! Haha!"

Laughing nervously, he shoves everything into his backpack, crumpling papers and bending the cover of his English workbook. We leave the house with little distraction; my stepbrother is out with friends, and it's date night for mother and her new husband. He's such a nice man - insanely boring, of course, but nice enough, and he's good for mother.

"Hey Kurama?"

"Yes?"

"Um…"

"Go ahead and ask, Kuwabara. I don't mind."

"I guess you used to look a lot different, too, huh? Like, all silver and shiny."

"Yes," I chuckle, "I suppose I was shiny."

"That's so weird."

"Just imagine it from my point of view."

"Huh, yeah. Do you think you'll ever be a demon again? I mean, get your old body back?"

"We'll see."

I will, of course. Once I regain control of my shape-shifting powers, I should be able to take human or demon form whenever I like. I might just come out of this little adventure with more tricks than I had before my untimely death.

"I mean,you don't _have_ to be a shiny demon guy if you wanna date a demon girl... right?"

"I imagine my original form was more attractive, at least among demons. But you'd be surprised... for some demons, being humanoid is enough. For other, even that is not strictly necessary."

"Oh. So... did you act different then, too?"

Now that's a tough question. How much has the human world changed me? I am still myself, not some bipolar amalgamation of demon and human soul, as I have occasionally been accused of... but my priorities have changed. I respect humans. I love my mother and my friends. The bonds I've formed here are deeper - certainly healthier - than anything I'd experienced in the demon world.

"I am living in an entirely different environment with an entirely different body... it would be nearly impossible to be the same demon I once was. Since coming to the human world, I've come to… value others more, as well, even above my own safety. I believe I will keep what I've learned here, should I ever return to my demon form."

"Wow. So you really like us, huh?"

"Yes, I do."

"But… you don't like anyone, y'know, _that_ way."

"I don't think I could like a human 'that way', no."

"Oh. Uh. Huh."

The night air is warm and humid, as close to the demon world as it can be without the thrum of energy or the smell of wild plants, hot ash, and rushing rivers. In their place, the human world offers a delicate fragrance of wet pavement and sweet plant fertilizer. Kuwabara certainly picked a good day to ask about my life as a demon, whatever his reasons.

"Hey Kurama?"

"Go ahead."

"You said what you like eth-… as-th-…y'know, what you like in the looks department, but what about personality?"

"Kuwabara, why exactly are you asking all these questions?"

"No reason."

"Really?" I raise one eyebrow.

"Uh. Yeah, really."

How interesting. The lie rolls off him in waves, but no stench of fear or signs of aggression. No lust either, Inari be praised. Something certainly seems to be bothering him, though.

Well, no point in backing down now. I'm curious to see where he's going with these questions - you know what they say about fox spirits and puzzles. I look out into the night, recalling the more serious of my past relationships. My loyal Kuronoe, always at my back - although sometimes with a dagger of his own; Hijri, whose sharp wit I found endearing, when she wasn't ripping me to shreds with it; proud Utsugi, my first crush, who taught me the meaning of mind games.

"If it's going to last more than a few months, they must be intelligent, and very hard to fool or beguile," the challenge is half the fun, of course, "and able to handle my tricks. They don't have to play games, but I will. Confident, headstrong, maybe even pushy, and willing to charge into danger with me. Someone who doesn't play nice, maybe a little bit mean - and you need a twisted sense of humor, if you're going to put up with a fox demon. Loyal to a fault, of course. If I could find all that wrapped up in a relatively attractive body, I would find my perfect mate. Does that answer your question?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the gears spinning in his head, until he grins and punches the air. Whatever he's up to, I think he finally heard something that put his mind at ease.

"I think so. I guess there's not a lot of girls like that in the human world. Even, uh, even the demon girls I know, they aren't like that!"

"No, I suppose there aren't." Of course, the only female demon Kuwabara has spent any time with is Yukina, and she's not exactly typical. Yukina... is _that_ what this is all about?

We walk for a few minutes in relative silence, and I wait patiently for his next question. What on earth is going on in that orange head of his?

"Kurama?"

"Yes?"

"Um. Nevermind."

"Ask your question."

"No, it's fine, it just kind of popped into my head. And, uh, it's kind of weird."

"None of this has been exactly normal, Kuwabara. Go ahead and continue. I'll let you know if I'm uncomfortable answering anything."

"Um. Okay. Well, I've been wondering...that is, uh, you keep saying stuff like 'someone' and 'demon'... you do, you know, like girls, right? Not just human girls, I mean, but like... girl girls."

I stop short. That came out of left field! I probably should have seen it coming, but this is Kuwabara we're talking about. Who knew he was aware of anything but girls?

"Kuwabara," my eyebrows shoot up, "are you asking me if I'm gay?"

"Uhhh..."

"Is it the hair? It's the hair, isn't it."

"No, I, uh-"

"Just because I wear pink and use roses as a weapon-"

He stumbles over his words for a few more seconds before I let up.

"Relax, Kazuma. I'm kidding. I'm not offended."

"Ohhh thank god, don't ever scaremelikethatKuramayou'resoscaryandIdon'twantyoumadatme, uhh, I'mreallygladyou'reonourside...uh, I mean. Uh."

"I like women. I also like men. It's... different for demons."

"...oh. Wow. I mean, cool, it's cool that you told me. That."

"Of course. You're a good friend, Kuwabara Kazuma."

We're nearing the restaurant and the rest of our friends, and I've only got a minute or so to get an answer out of him. I have to know what these questions are all about.

"Kuwabara."

"Uh, yeah?"

"Will you tell me why you're asking all these questions? I won't be offended."

"N-no reason..."

"Kuwabara," he flails, looking for an easy distraction - this late in the evening, there is nothing but the breeze and an empty sidewalk. "Does it have something to do with Yukina?"

"How'd you know that?! Err... well, I guess you are pretty smart. Okay, okay, don't look at me like that. It's just- do you remember when I first saw Yukina, and our Red Thread of Destiny? I've been getting a lot more powerful lately, and, uh, I've started to see them on other people. Like, the one between Yusuke and Keiko is really bright and easy to see. My sister has this weird frayed one. My classmates even have them. And, uh, Yukina..."

"Yes?"

"She, uh, she has _two_. But I can't see the other one real well... I can't really tell who the other end is attached to, because it sort of goes all clear and see-through after a few inches... I think maybe demons are harder to see or something. But, uh, … I thought it might be connected to... you. 'Cause, I mean, yeah, you're a demon and all, and you've got one, too. A _Red Thread of Destiny_."

...Oh.

"But hey, no worries, right? She doesn't sound like your kind of girl at all, with all stuff you were talking about, right? Kurama?"

"Ah... right, Kuwabara. No worries at all."


	2. Stringing me along

"Hiei?"

...

"Hiei."

...

"Hiei!"

...

The detective is shuffling around below my perch, and it doesn't look like he'll be leaving anytime soon. What a waste of a perfectly decent afternoon.

"Hiei, get down here. I gotta talk to you."

"Unless you have someone interesting for me to kill, go away."

"I gotta ask you something."

...

"Ok, fine, stay up there. I'll ask anyway. What do you look for in a girl?"

The hell? I sit up and peer down at the human. "This better not be about Yukina."  
"It's not. Ok, yeah, it is. But not really. This is so stupid. Look, I lost a bet with Kuwabara, and it's either this or buy him lunch for a week, so just answer the question so I can leave and you can get back to whatever it is you do all day. What do you look for in a girl?"

"I'm not answering anything for that idiot. Besides, why would I be looking for some girl I don't know?"

"Ughh. I mean, what attracts you to somebody. What kind of person do you want for a girlfriend, or... a mate, or whatever the hell you demons call it."

"I don't want anything in a mate. I don't want a mate. Go away."

"But if you did?"

"I don't."

"Argg!"

I sit back against the tree trunk, vaguely unsettled by the question. Mating is not the type of subject that is often brought up in my presence.

There are a few scuffing noises, then silence. He could have given up, but the Jagan tells me he's settled himself at the base of my tree.

"Look. Hiei. Kuwabara's been acting really weird lately. Last week he was staring at me for like an hour, and then he started ranting about strings and spirit energy and shit. Apparently he's been asking Kurama a lot of weird questions, too, and he's been moping after Yukina lately. More than usual, at any rate."

"And you think me answering your questions will make him less of an idiot?"

"Nah, I dunno. He just made a really big deal out of it, so if I play along maybe I'll be able to figure out what he's up to."

"Not my problem. Goodbye, detective."

He won't give up that easily, of course. Damn it. The last thing I need is him bringing this up in front of the oaf - or worse, the fox.

"Well, what about people you've dated in the past? What were they like?"

"Demons do not 'date'."

"You get what I mean. Past relationships. Sex. That sorta thing."

"They're in the past for a reason. I would not become involved with them again."

"Hey, that's a start! If you don't know what you want, at least you know what you don't want, right? What didn't you like about them?"

Where to start? The ones who liked my height? The nasty sub-humanoids that couldn't get it anywhere else? The sadists, the groupies?"

"Everything."

"Seriously?! Even the sex?!"

I let my head fall back against the tree trunk and resign myself to having this conversation. Every choice has its consequences... including the decision to ally myself with the detective.

"Especially the sex."

"That sucks."

"Hn."

"So I guess we can put 'good at sex' on the list, right?"

"There is no list. I'm not interested."

"Okay, so add in 'persistent' and 'able to put up with stubborn fire demons,' too. And 'charming' - she'd have to be if she's gonna sweet talk _you_ into anything. C'mon - if you absolutely had to choose someone, what would she be like?"

"If I was given no choice, I would prefer someone weak and stupid so I could escape or control them."

"Er... okay, not what I was going for. I mean if you were in love. Who would you want to be in love with?"

"I don't _love_."

Yuusuke groans in frustration. Maybe he'll get bored, or hungry, and leave me alone. One can only hope.

...

...

...

Or maybe he'll go ask Yukina for insight. Or Kurama. Or _the oaf_.

...

...

"...intelligent. If I was stuck _pining_ after someone, I'd rather they be intelligent. I can't stand idiots and simpering fools."

"Great! What about looks? Tall, short, thin, curvy, lots of muscle, blond, brunette, what?"

"Humanoid," which, believe it or not, is a big distinction in the demon world, "preferably a reasonable size." because I've been trapped under hulking idiots before, and I don't care to repeat the experience. Other than that, I've never had any interest in physical features, nothing I found particularly attractive, except maybe- "long hair."

"Ok. Cool. That's a start. So what about... uh... guys? I mean, I know I asked about girls, but-"

"Monogamy - _love_ ," what a pathetic concept, "is rare enough in the demon world that gender is not a deciding factor."

"So you're saying..."

"I'm saying I have no preference. Other than not to become involved in the first place."

"Huh. I can't see you shacking up with some drooling muscle-bound demon guy," above him in my tree, I curl my lip at that thought, "but then again you're way too rude for any girl I've ever met."

"Good, because I'm not interested in either."

"Yeah. Makes sense, since I figure eventually you'll end up shacking up with Kurama, anyway."

...

Wh-wh-?

"Yeah, I guess I should come clean. I sorta know what Kuwabara is up to."

Air. I need air. How is the human still talking, when all the air's been sucked out of the forest?

"He's freaking out about these red thread things, like the one he sees between him and Yukina. He's been seeing more of them - me and Keiko, the kids at school, a second one on Yukina, one on Kurama... except he can only see a few inches before they fade out. And I bet if he paid attention, he'd see them on you, too. Two of 'em."

Breath rattles back into my detective seems oblivious to his own impending death.

"He sent me up here because of Yukina, because he's freaking out about that there might be another guy in her life, but you and I both know what _that's_ all about. I'm more interested this red thread that's attached to Kurama - I can't see these thread things, but I'd bet Raizen's whole collection of demon porno I know who Kuwabara is gonna find on the other end of that thread, once his power gets stronger."

Don't say it.

" _You_."

What an incredibly stupid, misguided, _pathetic_ idea. I will _never_ take a mate. I should be fuming, spitting fire, lashing out with everything I have- I should cut him to shreds with a sharp tongue and sharper sword- prove that I'm not infected with the sickness called love. Deny it, because it's absolutely not true, just some stupid sappy human _idiot_ notion- How dare he even suggest that that _Kurama_ \- that _I_ -

But all that comes out is, "...don't tell Kurama."

"I won't. But I think you should."

He gets to his feet again, brushing leaves and dirt from his clothes. Somehow I'm still in my tree, instead of halfway through a portal to the demon world where I belong.

"Look, I'm not going to push this, but you should know - Kuwabara's eventually gonna get strong enough to see these thread things all the way, and he's gonna see the connection between you and Yukina, and then you and Kurama. And that's if Kurama doesn't figure it out first. You might want to start planning, maybe reconsider the idea of having a mate - it's not a good idea to fight destiny... and it's _definitely_ a bad idea to fight Kurama."

Not expecting a reply, and not getting one, the detective leaves.

Destiny? I am an abomination of destiny... destined to die at birth, destined to suffer, destined to destroy. What the hell does destiny have to do with Kurama?

That human idiot can go hang himself with those threads of his.


	3. The world on a string

Let's not draw this out, shall we? They're big boys. After a crazy (and conveniently offscreen) adventure, Kurama talks with Kuwabara, then with Hiei. We're back to Kurama's POV.

* * *

"Kuwabara, may I speak with you?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"I have a few questions about matter we discussed last week. I hope you don't mind?"

"Oh, you mean the _Red Threads of Destiny_! Yeah! Uhh... you sure you want to talk about it, y'know, with everyone else around?"

That is, in fact, the point; I intend for this conversation to be overheard, unless Hiei really is asleep on the windowsill. After giving the matter some thought over the last few days, I've come to a few fairly surprising realizations... things I should have noticed quite some time ago. Now it's time to test just how much the _subject_ of those realizations - Hiei - has figured out.

Considering the racket Boton and Genkai are kicking up in the kitchen, I doubt he's actually sleeping - even if he did call his dragon today. The little frown line between his eyebrows tells me he's quite awake, and he doesn't like where this conversation is headed.

"I don't mind talking about it here. We're among friends, after all. You said you saw a red thread connected to me; I'm curious about what it means, and who I am connected to. Do you think you can trace it?"

"Looking for love, huh? Heh heh! The great Kuwabara Kazuma is here to help you find your perfect girl! Err- unless it's... you know..."

"Don't worry, Kuwabara. I'm quite certain there is no connection between myself and your perfect girl."

No _direct_ connection, at least. I nod towards the small dining table, where Yukina is puttering around an injured Yusuke. He's come out of tonight's little adventure with about a thousand needle-thin puncture wounds and a new-found hatred of porcupines.

"Heh, yeah, that's good. But I don't know if I can help you yet... with humans I see this bright thread that I can follow all the way to the other person. That's how I found my beautiful Yukina, heh heh. But demon threads just sort of disappear after a few inches... plus, I'm pretty much all out of spirit energy right now."

"But you can see the thread connecting you to Yukina, even though she is a demon?"

"Yeah. It's love!"

"Are you sure the threads even connect to another person? Perhaps they've been cut, or simply don't lead anywhere."

"Uh, maybe. But they've been getting longer and easier to see. I mean, three months ago I couldn't even see them on demons, and now yours is out to there!"

He flails a hand at the couch beside me, where my very own red thread of destiny is presumably draped over the cushions.

"I see. And what exactly do these threads represent? Love, of course, but love can mean many things."

He heaves a breathy sigh. "True love. Devotion. Destiny. Maybe even soul mates!"

There's a rustle of fabric, but when I look over, Hiei is still feigning sleep.

"Whoever is on the other end of your Red Thread of Destiny is gonna be that perfect girl you were talking about, I just know it! Smart, funny, loyal... and I'm sure we can find someone prettier than… uh… you. Somewhere. Maybe. And, uh, not a nice polite girl," his eyes dart in Yukina's direction, "and maybe a boy. I totally made a list when we were talking about it - y'know, mentally in my head."

"That's very kind of you. I do have one more question: these threads, are they reciprocal? Will the person on the other end, whoever they are, return my feelings? Do they love me?"

Ah, there we are. A sudden draft ruffles my hair - Hiei, pulling his trademark disappearing act, right on schedule. I cut Kuwabara off before he can finish nodding.

"No, of course it's reciprocal. What was I thinking?" Knowing Hiei, he's headed out to the forest. Beyond that, I can only guess at how he'll react. "Kuwabara, thank you for answering my questions. I will be back before morning."

"But- we just- what-?"

"Don't worry about it. Go check on the others."

"Hey, wasn't shorty here just a second ago? Where-?"

The temple's heavy oak door swings shut, and I'm hit by a wave of humidity. It's cooled down a little since last week, but the air is still heavy and full of summer smells. I catch a faint scent on the breeze, another sign of my powers returning.

Ash and cloves, leading north - towards the water.

Hiei.

My nose leads me to a clearing near the river, with a small green bonfire at its bank - my fire demon friend, sitting cross-legged inside a ball of flames.

I settle onto the wet rocks. He's found himself a large dry bolder, but I keep my distance. Human hair is surprisingly flammable.

"I can't cut the thread," he says, like the edges of his clothes aren't starting to smoulder, "I can't even see it."

"So you're trying to burn it off?"

"Yes." He eyes one hand, then the other. "I don't think it's working."

"How can you tell?"

"You know."

"Do I?"

"Yes. Stop playing your stupid games."

He's inspecting his hands and fingers, his Jagan wide open. Little nicks and cuts line his fair skin, but he's too smart to cut any deeper. On some level he must know it won't work - he can't cut some phantom piece of string and simply stop feeling what he feels. What he feels for _me_.

After a moment, he gives up and stares out at the churning river. His eyes are glassy, eyelids drooping softly. If he wasn't so exhausted, I'd have to sweet talk him out of gutting me before we could even have a civil conversation about this - right now he's just too tired.

...

"When did you realize-"

"Yusuke told me."

"Ah."

...

"Kuwabara asked me the other day about my perfect mate - my perfect girlfriend, actually."

"I heard." His eyes shift over to me briefly. "Smart, funny, loyal. Prettier than you."

"That's... Kuwabara's interpretation, at least. He was afraid there was a connection between Yukina and myself. He asked me about my preferences, to see if I would describe someone like Yukina. I didn't, of course."

"Ch'."

"I realized only afterwards that I was describing her brother."

"Don't be stupid."

"I'm not. I mean it. How strange… all these years, and I never thought about it. How alive I feel when you're around, how the world seems so much more interesting. You challenge me, and trust me, and laugh with me. You're brilliant, and confident, and pushy, and charming in your own ill-tempered way, and absolutely infuriating, sometimes. And after all we've been through, I couldn't ever doubt your loyalty. You're perfect, my perfect mate."

"This is idiotic. We don't even know our threads connect to each other. The human is just seeing the one between me and Yukina, and yours goes… somewhere else. If they're even real, and not some delusion he dreamed up to validate his interest in my- in Yukina.."

"Hiei... forget about Kuwabara's threads. I love you. I think I've been in love with you for a while now."

His fire is dying down, finally. I'm surprised he had enough energy to keep it burning for as long as he did.

"Can't we at least try to-" Copper. What-? "Hiei? You've bitten through your lip."

…

"You're bleeding."

…

"Fuck, Hiei, say something."

He swipes angrily at the blood on his chin.

"I don't do this sort of thing, fox. I don't want this. I don't want to want it. I don't want to deal with sex, or this love bullshit, or destiny," he spits out. "But the damned humans couldn't keep their noses out of my business, I've been thinking about it all week, and now you're being - you."

"I do have this awful habit of being myself, yes. I'm hoping you can look past such an obvious fault."

"Stupid fox."

" _Your_ stupid fox." I shift closer to him, no longer held back by a barrier of fire. "Hiei, please. Give it a chance, at least. I know you feel it, this... this connection we share."

An eternity goes by before he finally looks at me, anger grudgingly giving way to a hint of curiosity and - I suspect - hope. His answer is a short, sullen shrug, and I can almost feel my missing tail wag in excitement. We watch the river rush by, having said all that needed to be said. I feel… strangely content, sitting on wet rocks, his warm presence at my side.

"Kurama."

"Yes?"

His lip is still a bloody mess, and his smirk is sharp with fangs.

"Does this mean you think I'm pretty?"

* * *

End.

Just kidding, I think I have an epilogue rattling around in my head for this. We'll see.


	4. All tied up

This has been bouncing around in my head for AGES. And since I could leave this fic without a proper ending (and by 'proper ending' I mean 'sexytimes') I realized it would be the perfect epilogue. Yusuke's point of view.

It's not explicit, but this chapter is a little more raunchy than the others.

"Shhhhhhh!"

"What the f-"

"Shhh!"

"Kuwabara, what the hell are you doing back here?"

I know the guy has a crush on Yukina, but he's going a little too far, spying on her from behind a wall in Genkai's garden. He's even hiding his energy signature; I only noticed him after I hopped the wall and nearly landed on top of him. What can I say - I'll train for weeks straight, I'll climb a goddamn mountain, but nothing short of Enma himself is gonna make me walk all the way around on these stupid windy paths.

"Shh! Be quiet and hide your energy!"

"Fine, but what the hell are you doing?"

"I can see it now!"

What the-? He's not even looking at Yukina; he's on his hands and knees, staring at the grass.

"You lose a contact lens or something?"

"Don't be stupid, Urameshi. I've been training all month - I can finally see that fake Red Thread of Destiny connected to Yukina! It's gotta be some evil spell or something. I'm gonna follow it and beat up whoever's trying to hurt my Yukina!"

Great. That's just _great_. Now I have to make sure the idiot doesn't do anything stupid.

"Err... well, let's not be too hasty. Maybe it's not fake. Maybe it's a relative or something."

"Nuh-uh. I've never seen a Red Thread of Destiny between relatives, not even Kurama and his mother. Besides, Yukina's family must all be in the demon world, right?"

"...right."

Just my luck, Kuwabara's never met a set of twins.

"So where's this thread leading us?"

"Over to the woods. It, uh, it takes a while 'cause I have to concentrate really hard."

"Uh huh."

I follow Kuwabara for what seems like days - it's gotta be at _least_ an hour - trying to distract him from his stupid thread. Even my best insults don't work. Then I feel it - a weird energy signature several yards away. It feels like I'm seeing double, like I've got Genkai whacking me upside the head again. It's demon energy, only... not. There's another presence, feels like a regular demon, but the creepy not-quite-demon-sort-of-human energy is drowning out everything else in the area. Kinda like Gokui after he ate a bunch of human souls, but not exactly.

"Kuwabara," I hiss, "don't freak out, but I'm sensing two demons up ahead, maybe three. Something's not right. Let's see if we can sneak up on them, okay?"

"Uh, okay..."

We get closer, and I start hearing the sounds of a fight. Maybe Kuwabara is right after all - or maybe that second presence is Hiei, and he's found someone interesting to kill today. But it doesn't sound like fighting exactly, it sounds more like - oh, _shit_.

Long silver hair. A very wide, very naked back. Ears. A tail.

"Ohmygod-"Kuwabara's jaw hits the ground "-th- tha- that's-"

Youko Kurama, every inch as tall and solid as he was at the Dark Tournament - and wow, did not need to know what he looks like naked. He's got someone pinned to the ground underneath him, their legs hitched up around his waist. Very masculine legs... with a very familiar black boot hanging off of one foot.

A heavily warded hand slides up and buries itself in Kurama's hair.

Oh god, my eyes. One of them lets out a groan, and Kuwabara squeaks - he's managed to turn ghost white and blush beet red at the same time. The noise makes Kurama's fox ears twitch, and suddenly we're pinned by narrow yellow eyes.

You'd think that'd be the end of it, he'd either murder us or disappear into the forest, but no. He shifts his weight onto one arm (a really big, really long arm) and turns to look at us, and we can see - yup, that's Hiei alright, no mistaking that murderous glare. I can't see anything too nasty, thank god - Kurama's easily twice as big as him and blocking most of the view - but he's got bites and bruises all down his neck and grass stains on his knees.

Kurama's got the biggest, smuggest, most self-satisfied look on his face.

Then the tree next to us explodes, and I don't wait around to see which one of them is responsible. I grab Kuwabara by the collar and yank him back the way we came, dodging trees and rocks and Kuwabara's flailing limbs.

That was way more than I ever needed to see, but hey, at least they're happy. Plus they can't kill us, since we're kind of the reason they got together. Which reminds me-

"HEY HIEI! I TOLD YOU 'GOOD AT SEX' WAS ON THE LIST!"

* * *

I crack myself up. But seriously, I should write a lemon version of this.


	5. Loose ends

Kuwabara eventually got over the shock of seeing his friends boinking in the woods, and - once he could think about the situation without gagging - he started to have questions. Questions like "why did Yukina's thread lead to (ugh!) Kurama and (yuck!) Hiei in the woods (gross!)?" and "why does Hiei (ew!) have two Red Threads of Destiny too?"

Since then, he'd also managed to meet a set of twins, and discovered that some siblings could indeed be connected by a thread of destiny.

Unfortunately, he chose the middle of Keiko's birthday dinner to finally put it all together.

"Hey, so, Yusuke. I've been thinking. Y'know, about that time in the woods."

"Really? I didn't think you were into that sort of thing."

"Eww! Not like that! Gross!" The redhead flailed, nearly knocking over a water pitcher. "I was thinking about that fake Red Thread of Destiny. What if it's not fake? Right?"

"Well, we've got no reason to think it's fake."

"Right! So what if it's real, and it leads to Yukina's brother!"

"Uh... yeah, that... could happen, I guess."

"Awesome! Wouldn't' that be great? I could find Yukina's long lost brother for her, and she'd be so happy - she'd probably even reward me with a kiss, heh! The last time I tried, we just got, uh, distracted by- uh, in the woods, and I never reached the end of the thread. So I think I'm gonna try again."

"That's… less stupid than usual, I guess."

"Yeah, I thought so too. Too bad we got interrupted last time. Isn't it weird that Hiei and Kurama were _right_ in the way?"

"Uh, yeah. Weird."

"Almost like it was leading to them, and that doesn't make any sense. I totally know Kurama's not interested in my Yukina at all, and anyway, I'm really startin' to think it's her brother after all- so why would it lead to them unless- unless- uh..."

His nose scrunched up for a long moment, and then all the blood drained his face as he followed that thought to its inevitable conclusion. He looked from Yusuke, to Yukina, back to Yusuke - then slowwwwwly he turned to look at the two demons sitting at the end of the table. S

ure enough, when he focused his energy, there it was: a faint red string tied to Yukina's delicate pinky (sigh!), trailing along the table, around glasses and silverware, and ending (gulp) wrapped around Hiei's own crooked little finger.

"He-he's-"

They were sitting on opposite sides of the table, Yukina squished between Shizuru and the birthday girl, Hiei at the far end against the wall, ignoring everyone in favor of his small mountain of food. Their profiles were nearly identical, from the thin brows and straight forehead, to the almond eyes and soft curve of the nose, down to bowed lips (Yukina's slightly fuller) and angled jaw (Hiei's slightly stronger).

"They're- b-but- he's-"

Hiei glanced up at Kurama, and his eyes were red - just the same rosy color as lovely Yukina's. And Yukina, how had he never noticed the way her sweet smile had perfect, sharp little fangs? Yukina was so delicate and petite, and the shrimp was so... shrimpy, and (now that Kuwabara thought back to it) didn't he show up out of the blue when they were rescuing her?

It was true. It was the only explanation. It really, really hurt his brain.

"HIEI... IS YUKINA'S BROTHER!"

Everyone froze. Slowly, they all turned to look at Hiei, unconsciously scooting away from Kuwabara and out of the path of destruction. Kurama braced against the table, ready to restrain the shorter demon should he lunge for one of the humans, and they all held their collective breath.

But Hiei just raised an eyebrow, regarding them with disdain.

"This can't be a surprise to anyone but that oaf." He spared a glance at the ice maiden. "She figured it out years ago. She's not stupid."

End. (For reals this time.)

I seem to be on a binge of "Yukina finds out - just kidding, she knew the whole time" stories. They're way too calm about this. I like the ones where Hiei breaks down after the secret comes out, because those stories are AWESOME. Also sad. And awesome. Please review. Pretty please? Maybe I'll get around to that lemon?


End file.
